This is Dhabaleswar Siva Temple, Manchesvar, Anantakuda Kataka (Cuttack) built 16th century by Suryavanshi Gajapati Kings . The temple is located on a tiny island locally known as Anantakuda in the river Mahanadi and situated on the left side of N.H – 42 leading from Cuttack to Dhenkanal branching at a distance of 4 kms from Nuapatana chowk. This is when the God revealed himself through very scenic spectacle.
A flying bridge, recently constructed, connects the village Manchesvar and the island. The temple has a rekha vimana and a pidha jagamohana of impoverished Kalingan order. A pillared mandapa infront of the jagamohana is recently added.
Some of the a few detached sculptures of Ganga period are now on the walls of Budhalinga Temple. Images of four-armed Trivikrama, Narasimha, Vaisnavi, Vishnu, Girigobardhana Krisna, Radha-Krisna, Parvati, Ganesa, This suggests the existence of an earlier temple in this place. The earlier temple has no trace now.
Mythological legend -(Courtesy Wiki) - The name Dhabaleswar ( Dhabala or White + Eeswar or God ) is attributed to a miracle performed by Lord Shiva. Once a thief stole a black bull calf from a village and fled to a Shiva temple. He hid himself with the calf in the sanctum while the angry crowd waited outside the temple. The crowd could clearly hear the calf calling out. The thief prayed fervently to Lord Shiva to deliver him from the crowd. Taking pity on him, the Lord appeared as a Sanyassin before the crowd and asked them the cause of their agitation On being told that they suspected the thief of hiding in the sanctum along with the black calf, the sanyassin brought the calf outside to dispel their doubts. The calf turned out to be white, seeing which the crowd let the thief go. The sanyassin disappeared and the thief realized who had come to his aid. He confessed and apologized to the crowd. He took a vow to spend the rest of his life in the service of the Lord. The act of turning a black calf to white caused Lord Shiva to be also known as Dhabaleswara.
